Automated power distribution and condition monitoring solution saves Yantai Electric Power Bureau over US$500,000 annually The combined effort of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Rockwell Automation’s power solution delivers improved monitoring and power quality management to the City of Yantai, China.

Background
In China’s Shandong Province, industrial growth reaching 8% annually is leading to improved economic vitality and a strong future for international trade. It is also bringing unprecedented increases in electric load demand calling for improvements in power quality and management. The City of Yantai is leading the way in defining the advantages of automated power management and condition monitoring solutions.

Challenge
For the Yantai Electric Power Bureau (The Bureau), the limitations associated with an older power distribution system presented major obstacles. While power production itself was not at issue, the legacy system’s inability to properly monitor power flow and quality throughout the city’s grid was resulting in a series of costly distribution limitations and extended power failures.

The Bureau, a government body committed to assuring the region’s vitality and economic expansion, commissioned a pilot study to resolve its current problems. Its primary goal: to position the city for continued industrial growth with reliable electric power.

They selected China’s Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to help design a new power monitoring system solution. After reviewing the marketplace for companies with the best power monitoring and control products, EPRI selected Rockwell Automation, Greater China.

Solution
Working together, representatives from EPRI and Rockwell Automation developed a system that incorporates the most up-to-date technologies and products in the field of power distribution automation.

The solution for Yantai includes an advanced computing network that adopts a 4-layered distribution structure, including: sector specific Power Monitoring Automation Equipment, Switching Stations, Communication Sub Stations and a Main Station.

At the Power Monitoring Equipment layer is Rockwell Automation’s PowerMonitor 3000 [PM3000], a new generation measurement and control module that can address the needs of primary equipment in power distribution networks.

In fact, the PM3000 enabled EPRI to devise a system capable of measuring over 50 critical power parameters including phase and circuit voltage, as well as current of single phase and three phase. In addition, the system supports adoption of kilowatt hour, feedback kilowatt hour, net kilowatt hour, current demand, and maximum current demand, among many others. Custom sampling periods enable each line frequency cycle to collect voltage and current inputs from 216 measurement points along the network, which are then relayed to the PM3000 units.

The system also integrates multiple control functions such as tele-mechanization, load control and electric power quality monitoring, all of which are managed and controlled via built in, two way remote communications.

All of these attributes, and more, combine to dramatically increase the levels of automated distribution and management available to the city’s network.

At the Switching Station layer, the PM3000s from the Power Monitoring Automation Equipment layer connect to the Substation Layer using a standard RS 485 network. From here, the PM3000s form an optical double loop and self healing network using optical fiber. This layer is responsible for gathering information collected by the PM3000s, in addition to receiving Main Station commands, which are further transferred to each PM3000 for execution.

The Main Station Layer provides comprehensive SCADA functions, which conform to the regional electricity network dispatching automation function specification. This layer also employs the power of an open, vendor- independent CORBA-based software architecture, which can integrate differing networks and operating systems to maximize application sharing.

Finally, the Windows-based human machine interface supports the distributed power of the Internet by incorporating web-based browsing and management functions. This enables managers to observe and respond to critical data or system changes from remote offices at any time.

Results
Ms. Wang Jing, assistant manager and senior engineer in the Power Supply and Technical Department of Yantai Electricity Administration Bureau, says the new electricity distribution automation system is a great success. In fact, the new system is already saving the Bureau over US$500,000 annually in avoided downtime losses.

For consumers, the new system delivers a steadier, more reliable power supply. In addition, the system’s open architecture design, coupled with a power supply performance tracking feature, provides a scalable network that can support future energy saving projects. For example, the new system can monitor pre-purchased electricity quantities against those actually used.

In addition, automatic alarms can be customized to alert operators when a user’s electrical consumption volume has been reached, in addition to tracking other needs.

“Now, we can collect information about the status of the entire electrical distribution network in a much faster way. The system can monitor all mission critical electricity detection parameters and send the information to our central control staff as well as our dispatching and service staff,” she says “This enables us to respond faster to sudden power events. Most importantly, the system helps us more accurately determine the potential for power failure or power supply instability. This function was impossible with our legacy system. Without the full support of EPRI and Rockwell Automation ’s unparalleled technical expertise in automation control and support, we would never have been able to realize this solution.”

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